Plans have been submitted to the city of Clayton for the 8,800-square-foot ground floor space at Two Twelve Clayton, the recently opened 26-story multi-use building at 212 S. Meramec (the corner of Meramec and Bonhomme).

“We felt we needed that much space to properly execute the concept,” says Peel's co-owner Patrick Thirion, “so we took the entire ground floor.” Although Peel's booming O’Fallon, Illinois, location incorporates Peel Brewing Company, that location is roughly the same size and serves a far smaller demographic.

Thirion and business partner Brandon Case have had St. Louis in their sights for some time, Thirion says. They were seeking a central location, ideally without a lot of pizza competition, and feel they found it at Two Twelve Clayton. “We didn’t see ourselves along Clayton’s restaurant row,” Thirion says. “We’re fine being a destination—actually, we prefer it.”

The partners are excited about bringing what they've called "neo-Neapolitan" pizza to Clayton. "It's an awesome area that's growing very quickly," Thirion says. "We can't wait to be part of the restaurant scene there."

He doesn’t envision many changes to Peel’s menu or pizza format, although more salads and wood-fired sandwiches (served on Peel’s home-made breads and ciabatta) could be added to satisfy lunch demand. Cognizant of the need for speed, Thirion says the Clayton location will employ three wood-burning ovens, one more than in O’Fallon and two more than in Edwardsville.

Peel has been wildly successful in Metro East despite having an unusual business model for a pizza establishment. Case explained the partners' philosophy to SLM several years ago: “Every pizza—especially ours—is best right out of the oven. That’s why we have a dine-in–only, no–call-in, no-carryout policy. We’re not brazen about it. You can sit at the bar and order whatever you want to go. We just didn’t want someone’s first experience with our pizza to be less than optimal, or we may never see them again.”

The restaurant, which Thirion hopes to open by mid-2018, is expected to seat 200 to 230 in several different areas, including a decent-sized bar for the after-work crowd.

“But it’s all very preliminary, “Thirion cautions. “We’ve yet to sign a lease, and Clayton has yet to approve the plans.” He jokes about the inevitable delays that occur when planning a restaurant, citing the rescheduling of Clayton's August 21 review meeting, after it was realized that the total solar eclipse will occur the same day.